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Creating your strata corporation’s annual budget is one of your council’s most important jobs. It takes a lot of time and hard work, and it frequently means making tough spending decisions. Strata members often scrutinize it carefully because of how much it impacts the strata as a whole and themselves as individual homeowners. “The budget affects everyone because it’s something that all the owners in the strata are contributing to,” explains Dylan Murray, controller for FirstService Residential in British Columbia. “You can never over communicate about it.”

Are you considering joining your strata council?Here are five traits of the ideal strata council member and if they describe you, then you're ready to join!

Learn about annual maintenance planning for your strata corporation by watching the following video from a recent seminar hosted by FirstService Residential. The seminar was led by guest speakers Sean Ingraham (Managing Broker for FirstService Residential BC) and Gerry McRobert (Senior Regional Director at FirstService Residential BC).

Like changing the oil in your car, regular maintenance on a building helps keeps everything working properly and safely. For stratas, some tasks are not optional, they are mandatory.

As a Strata Council Member, one of your principal responsibilities is stewardship of the Strata Corporation’s finances. And a lot of that boils down to one thing: the annual budget.

Security risks increase exponentially during the holiday seasons for high-rise buildings. Many residents travel for the holidays, move to warmer weather during the winter months, or have an influx of guests and family members in and out. These factors make it easy for intruders to make it into the building, especially if there are no procedures in place to track the many people and deliveries in and out of the building.

A strata management company never wants to find itself in the midst of an emergency, but it can happen anytime and anywhere. Whether you face an outbreak of illness, earthquake, or a flood, the impact of any devastating event can be minimized if your council has prepared for it. No doubt, your council meetings are already chock full of agenda items, but it’s important to make emergency preparedness planning a priority.

On February 18, 2017, the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI) hosted a strata educational seminar on the topic of Human Rights Complaints in Strata Corporations.

Up to 60 percent of strata home owners in the Greater Vancouver Regional District lack insurance. A good policy will protect your biggest asset and help you keep your head above water.

If your community is managed by a strata management company, you probably have an after-hours number you can call for urgent issues. But what if you simply want to take care of day-to-day strata business? “People don’t operate in normal business hours anymore,” says Rolando Hernandez, national customer care director at FirstService Residential. “Residents and council members need to be able to take care of strata business how and when it’s convenient for them.”

In the interest of transforming mystery into a portrait of the industry’s reality, you’re invited to consider (that is, re-consider) these eight myths about property management firms.

How well do homeowners in your strata corporation understand strata maintenance and repair responsibilities? Creating a Responsibility Matrix can ensure everyone knows their role.

Did you know that electric space heaters are involved in thousands of residential fires each year? As such, nearly 32% of all home heating fires, and 79% of all fatal home heating fires, are caused by portable electric space heaters.

Did you know that flushing foreign objects down toilets can cause major backups and losses by preventing the passage of material through the piping system? If a foreign object was flushed down your toilet, you can trying snaking it from the drain, but be careful not to push the object further along. If snaking doesn’t work, it is advised that you contact a plumber.

Smoke alarms can help save lives. When a fire occurs, smoke spreads quickly, silently, and without warning. Did you know that 60% of fire related deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or in homes with smoke alarms that don’t properly function?

It is extremely rare for sprinkler heads to spontaneously burst but do you know what to do in the event one does? Read these helpful tips to prevent any major damage from the sprinkler heads in your unit.

Did you know that malfunctioning supply hoses for your washing machine can result in some of the most common water damage claims filed by homeowners? Water can discharge at a rate of up to 500 gallons per hour, causing devastating losses to your home and any adjacent units.

Did you know that most units have up to ten or more water connections, including the washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator/ice maker, bathtub, shower, sprinkler heads, hot water tank, faucets and more? Each of these connections has the potential to leak. If your unit is found to be the source of a leak that causes water damage, you may be held responsible.

In July 2016, amendments made to the Strata Property Act lowered the voting threshold for dissolving a strata corporation from a unanimous vote to 80%. Some buildings in Metro Vancouver are finding it beneficial to conduct a strata wind-up rather than incur large expenses over time from costly repairs and maintenance. Winding up a strata corporation, however, is an intricate process, and great care should be taken to ensure a successful dissolution.

Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in a strata corporation, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover.

FirstService Residential hosted an educational seminar for council members on the topic of Earthquake Preparedness for Stratas.

We will all need a measure of patience as we navigate changes related to the pandemic. Communications may move at a pace that’s different than we’re used to. As always, the best policy is to assume positive intentions from others, listen carefully and respond professionally.

It can be daunting trying to go green. With numerous programs and opportunities available to reduce, re-use and recycle, it’s hard to know where to begin.

trata councils serve several important functions. It is important that residents and council members alike are clear on what these functions are. After all, full transparency is integral to a happy strata community.